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Potential Spreadsheet Automation Benefits that Farm Businesses Need to Succeed Better [Hint: Insights from Agribusiness Research Survey Interview of Farm Industry Stakeholders]

This article features – and discusses (with charts) – responses to questions in an agribusiness research survey questionnaire I circulated a few years ago.

The semi-structured questionnaire was used to solicit responses from farm owners, feed makers and extension experts. Some were buyers/users of my Excel-VB Ration Formulator™.

CEOs of smallholder (fish, pig, and poultry) farm businesses make up 80% of respondents (30% of them own feed mills, to control feed cost/quality), and 20% are farm support specialists.

22.2% of those who formulate their rations use the Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator™. Others use off-the-shelf software (11.1%), manual Excel workbooks (11.1%), and calculators (11.1%).

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Over 75% of the respondents were 41 years old and above. At least 55.6% hold a University Masters degree; one is a PhD holder, and some also hold professional qualifications.

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Not surprisingly, all 55.6% say they always aim for least cost feed formulation. This suggests they are likely to adopt customizable Excel apps that quickly and accurately formulate rations.

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Those who own feed mills will thus confidently formulate useful rations for themselves, and other farmers who come to their mills. Multiple benefits will thus accrue to the industry.

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55.6% buy commercial feed (from “2 sources” or “anywhere they can find”). 66.7% of that percentage says they their animals’ performances vary noticeably with different sources of feed.

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Their farm output tends to fluctuate as a result – and that naturally bothers the farmers.

Hen Day Percentage (HDP) data auto-charted – in September 2013 – by a custom Excel-VB software built for a layers farm in South West Nigeria, appears to support the above.

When the two farm managers were asked about a sharp downward slope of charted HDP data, over a one week period (from above 70% to between 55 and 65%), their checks revealed it coincided with their use – due to cash flow problems – of feed from a different supplier!

Customizable Excel-VB driven tools can help such farmers consistently formulate their own feed to specification. More predictable livestock performance and reduced feeding expenses will occur, and ultimately lead to increased profits.

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Read: One New Skill Modern Extension Professionals Need to Succeed


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